


down to the last six (five? four?)

by thisprentiss



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: (that tag is for sakura), Angst, Canonical Character Death, Coffee, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Post-Chapter 4, Sleep Deprivation, Snacks & Snack Food, i went a little too ham on this and it got longer than intended, like the whole beginning is angst, vague description of an anxiety attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29257737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisprentiss/pseuds/thisprentiss
Summary: the past two nights after sakura's death have been rough. hina and togami wind up having another conversation in the kitchen.
Relationships: Asahina Aoi & Togami Byakuya, Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura (implied)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	down to the last six (five? four?)

**Author's Note:**

> so this isn't REALLY a squeakuel to midnight snack, but the events of that fic ARE referenced a couple times just so everyone's aware :)
> 
> i tried to get the character voices down, but i think i lost them half way through the last scene and i was way too lazy to fix it fjlkdjklfj. there are a few things that MIGHT seem accidentally out of character but i swear it was just me shooting my beam at characters to try and give them some fun dimension and depth. the other beam i'm shooting at them is the found family beam and fuck i keep missing but i will keep trying.

Hina hadn't really been able to... to... _exist_ after Sakura's death.

When the trial had finished and Monokuma had needlessly crushed Alter Ego into nothing but crackling wires and broken computer pieces, Hina had gone back to Sakura's empty dorm - her empty, _empty dorm_ \- and locked the door behind her. Everything was just the way it was before, like nothing had even happened.

Hina made it three steps toward the bed before her legs got weak under her and she dropped to her knees. The smell of the room that would usually comfort her - leather punching bags and the subtle lavender of Sakura's perfume - was overwhelming and made her stomach turn. She tugged the blanket half way off the bed and curled her fists into it, unable to get off the floor.

And Hina cried. She _screamed_ and she cried.

She cried until she couldn't hold herself up anymore, until she was on her side on the floor, clutching Sakura's familiar blanket to her aching chest and making a sound that she could only describe as a wail. And she kept crying after that. She couldn't seem to stop.

When she entered the dining hall the next morning, no one seemed to want to speak to her. She sat down at the table in silence, noticing the way the others halted their muttered conversations the moment she walked in the room. Hagakure, who usually threw his arms around her and Sakura every morning with a relatively jovial greeting, actually shifted _away_ from her.

Everyone was acting _guilty._

 _As they should_ , a voice in Hina's head told her. She knew it wasn't true - not really - because the letter told her Sakura did what she did to prevent them from turning against each other, not because of their actions toward her. But there was a part of Hina that just didn't believe her.

Sakura was one of the kindest people she had ever met, and she'd never been one to avoid lying in order to put someone at ease.

But if Sakura believed in them... Hina _really_ wanted to be able to as well. She didn't want to become bitter.

When he came in, Makoto sat down next to her and tried to ease a conversation out of her, because Makoto is kind, and he _always_ knows what to say to make people feel better. His words just felt so _empty._ Hina forced a smile onto her face and talked with him, unwilling to show how hollow she was feeling. She wouldn't shut down or shut them out like Taka had after Mondo's execution. For the sake of her own sanity, she didn't want the others' pity.

When Toko pulled her aside and tried to _apologize -_ apologize, really? She thinks she has the right to apologize? - for what she'd said to Hina and done to Sakura, Hina just about lost it. If she wasn't so fucking _exhausted,_ she might have clocked the author like she'd done to Togami several days ago before Sakura was dead and everything was awful- But she squeezed Toko's shoulder and assured her there were no hard feelings.

There was a dojo on the fifth floor.

And Hina couldn't stop herself; she started to cry again.

Because Sakura would've loved this. Because it was beautiful and peaceful and Sakura would've _loved_ it.

Hagakure found her first, but did nothing other than stand in the doorway for a long, silent moment before turning around and shutting the door with a gentle hand. He must've said _something_ , though, because less than a minute later Makoto had come into the room, sitting down next to her against the wall with the lockers.

He didn't speak at first, but Hina noticed him awkwardly put a hand on top of hers. She turned her palm against his and let him lace their fingers together, squeezing her hand comfortingly. For some reason, it made her choke up again. Sakura talked fondly of Makoto. _Because he's kind._

They sat together on the floor for what felt like hours, and Makoto let her lean on his shoulder when she couldn't hold herself up. He was warm, _really_ warm - had he always been this warm? - and Hina didn't think to worry about it because she was _so cold_ without Sakura.

He asked if she was going to be okay, and what could she do but lie?

And so she got back up, splashed her face with water in the bathroom, and started to check all the fifth floor windows for any cracks in the metal plating, making small talk with the others when she'd see them pass her.

Eventually, she joined Hagakure in the botanical gardens and helped him turn over every single solitary rock in there. He loosened up after a few minutes of half-hearted optimistic joking from Hina's end, but she didn't miss the way he stared at her with concern in his eyes every time he thought she wasn't looking.

For a while, she was left alone in the garden with her thoughts and her knees grinding into the dirt as Hagakure ran back down to the dining hall for a quick lunch. (A lunch he was likely to eat alone, as Kyoko and Togami agreed that they were 'capable of eating asynchronously' for once, apparently.)

Togami was a prick, and Asahina wanted to hate him.

But she was scared to hate him. If she hated him - if she kept thinking he deserved some sort of _karma_ for how he treated Sakura - then what would she do if he wound up dead? It was the same old moral lesson her grandmother liked to push on her as a child that prevented her from going to bed with a grudge. Because what if something _happened?_ What if she never got to apologize or make good? _Where would those negative emotions go?_

Hina wasn't sure she could stand to see another one of them dead, no matter who it was. _Another two of them_ , she reminded herself, because if there was a victim there would be a killer, and Kyoko and Makoto wouldn't let them get away with murder.

She wanted to let herself hate Togami, but she didn't want him to die, and she wasn't entirely sure the two things were mutually exclusive.

As he recounted the blood splattered classroom he'd found on the fifth floor - what they realized must be the location of the mysterious 'tragedy' that happened a year ago - Hina wanted to hurl. She wanted to snap at him for ruining dinner even though she still wasn't eating anything. She wondered how he could be so blasé about it. That left an unsettling feeling in her stomach - though what about Togami's attitude _didn't?_

Fukawa revealed that she'd found a knife, and they all had to agree that Makoto is the only one that could ever be trusted with it. Because Makoto is so kind, and Makoto would never do anything to hurt them. Even Toko and Togami could settle on that. (But none of them are really sure about that anymore, are they?)

And then two things happened in quick succession that Hina wished she had given more shits about in advance - _why, as if I could've stopped them? I sound like an idiot._

Togami interrogated Kyoko on her supposedly secret identity until she handed her room key over to him and left. (And now she's missing and no one has seen her since). Then subsequently, Monokuma accused them all of stealing something of his - something _precious,_ some sort of _treasure._ (And now Kyoko is _missing_ and even Monokuma doesn't know where she is).

By the time she realized she hadn't eaten anything but half a donut at breakfast, she was already crawling into Sakura's bed at 10:30 PM. Her stomach turned and twisted the moment she put two and two together, and she half-heartedly wondered if she should run and grab something before their self appointed curfew.

When she joined Hagakure and Togami in the dining hall just before Monokuma's usual wakeup call, she was so hungry she was nauseous.

The water made her insides burn cold, so she fixed herself a cup of coffee. _When did someone start making a pot for the group?_ She mixed in a tablespoon of sugar that Sakura would scold her over. _Bets are on Hagakure. He's started saying 'I love you guys' every time he leaves a room._ Then a healthy splash of creamer that Togami prodded her over when they met for breakfast in the library, casting her a pointed look and asking if she'd like any coffee with her cream.

_When did we all get so close?_

Toko came in at 7:15, and Hagakure offered her a plate of the eggs and rice he was making before sending her to ask if anyone else wanted some as well. Both Hina and Togami pretended not to notice the other decline.

She started to worry about Kyoko when Makoto dragged himself into the dining hall at 7:31. Neither of the two were typically late to breakfast, and it was even less common for Makoto to show up _before_ her.

He claimed he wasn't feeling well - and he looked the part, too - but a tiny part of Hina wanted to suspect the worst. (Mondo had looked just as sick the day after murdering Chihiro, after all. Worse, even.)

Desperately, Hina had to remind herself that _Makoto wouldn't do that._ She didn't think the others would do it either. _Makoto isn't like that._ But Hifumi wasn't either, was he? Not really.

She returned to the dojo when they all split up. Hagakure offered to go with her, but she declined. (He then proceeded to tell her that if she needed anything, he was there for her, and even if she didn't want to talk, he could always smoke her out to get her mind off it. Because apparently there's _'free weed in the botanical garden, baby.')_

He reminded Hina of a cousin on her dad's side that used to liven up family gatherings with his guitar and funny stories.

Alone in the dojo, she wondered when in the course of the last 24 hours she'd decided to forgive the others.

Maybe Taka was onto something; Sakura's forgiving nature could be possessing her from beyond the grave. Hina chuckled to herself at the thought. Sakura was always so much better than her - so much more full of _love._

Makoto came to check on her just after noon, asking if she'd eaten yet. He returned several minutes later with a glass of water and a cafeteria tray of prepackaged food from the kitchen, joining her to sit in silence once again. If he noticed the fact that she didn't touch the tray or anything on it, he didn't say anything.

When he'd given her a hug and excused himself, Hina finally did what she'd come here for; she opened one of the lockers and stowed her sweatshirt, monopad, and keys inside. Then she wrapped her hands and wrists, heaved a standing practice bag into the middle of the floor, and started to beat the ever live, love, laughing _shit_ out of it.

She punched it with tact, kicked it and swung and hit and kneed until she was sweaty and somewhere between exhausted and exhilarated. Her knuckles stung despite the wrappings, and her body was sore as she drank the water Makoto had brought her several hours ago.

If Sakura were here, Hina knew she'd tell her she wasn't drinking enough water or eating enough to be doing this kind of workout. _But Sakura isn't here._ Hina gasped as she finished the water, panting. _Sakura isn't here._

She didn't know when the wetness on her cheeks went from being sweat to being tears, but she knelt in front of the lockers with her head in her hands for what had to be another hour.

By the time she'd finished crying, Hina was no longer sweaty. In fact, she was _cold_ now.

Wrapping her sweatshirt around her shoulders and haphazardly stuffing her arms through the sleeves, Hina wiped away the last of the tears that hadn't dried on her face yet. On shaky legs, she stood with the tray in her hands, prepackaged food still unwrapped and untouched. The clock on the wall told her it was past 8:30, and she wondered absently why no one went looking for her for dinner.

Pushing into the dining hall, Hina wasn't surprised to find it empty. She heard Toko and Hagakure arguing on the second floor when she'd jogged down the stairwell, and Kyoko's location was still... unknown. Which was disturbing. Which she didn't want to think about.

She slid one of the protein bars Makoto had brought her off the tray and into her pocket as she walked into the kitchen, expecting to still be alone when she went through the doorway.

It was like deja-vu seeing Togami on the other side of the kitchen island.

Neither of them said anything as she took the pantry items back to the shelves and stowed the tray under the counter; Hina was almost convinced he was ignoring her until his voice grated against her ears, "You haven't eaten."

Hair standing on end, Hina shot him a dangerous look. "You haven't either."

"How do you know?" Togami snapped back, folding his arms like a petulant child. Hina played with the wrapper of the protein bar in her pocket. She turned her back on him and started to rummage through the fridge. He scoffed from behind her. Hina ignored him.

She was beginning to grow frustrated as she opened and closed every drawer in the fridge, poking through everything on the shelves until she'd gone through all the food twice. She didn't want any of this. _Fuck_ , she was hungry, but why couldn't she stomach anything?

Her eyes started to feel warm, and she swallowed thickly - she would _not_ cry in front of _Togami._

There was the sound of movement behind her, and as she closed the fridge, Hina could feel that Togami had crossed around the island to stand directly behind her. A part of her almost _wanted_ him to kill her. She could laugh out loud at that - she very nearly did. What a satisfying ending to _her_ story - dying alone after trying so hard to take everyone down. And his as well; getting axed because of his best friends Makoto and Kyoko would be poetic, really.

But when she turned around, he didn't have a knife to gut her, or a rope or a dumbbell or a stupid cosplay hammer.

He had a donut on a napkin.

Stiffly, not looking at her, he held it out in her direction. "The box popped up a few days ago, so it may be stale, but..." he cleared his throat, but didn't continue. Hina clenched her jaw and blinked several times to try and clear away the fogginess in her vision.

With a shaky hand, she reached up and took the donut from Togami, offering a watery smile in return. "Thanks."

Togami nodded once, stepping past her and retrieving a sports drink from the fridge. More casually this time, he passed it to her. "Electrolytes," he said shortly. Hina choked out a laugh and wiped her eyes, finally starting to regain her bearings as she unscrewed the lid of the bottle.

"Thanks. Part two," hesitantly, she took a sip of the drink and let it sit on her tongue. Then she took another, and followed it with a bite of the donut. Togami had returned to where he'd started, on the other side of the kitchen island. "Did you eat?" she asked, leaning on the counter and taking another sip-bite combo.

"Not yet. I've..." he paused, seeming to realize at the same time as Hina that the air didn't seem quite as tense as it was before, "I haven't been feeling well. Since the trial."

Hina broke off a piece of the donut and pinched it between her fingers, flattening it into a bready disc. "Yeah, didn't Makoto say he was getting sick too? Maybe there's a bug going around," she suggested, biting into the flat piece of donut like a cracker. _Because that's exactly what they needed right now. Everybody in a weakened, murderable state._ But Togami shook his head, straightening his posture by pushing against the counter.

"It's not that I'm ill, I'm simply..." in the most casual gesture Hina had ever seen him make, he _shrugged,_ "I can't explain it, exactly. And I don't know if I quite believe Makoto's claims of illness." He looked down his nose at her. "Do you?"

"Well..." Hina pursed her lips, "He was kinda warm in the dojo yesterday. And I mean- jeez, he looked like shit this morning. Like- I don't know, I want to believe him. But..."

"You're thinking of Oowada as well, aren't you?" Togami raised his eyebrow expectantly. Hina nodded. "I suppose we'll get our answer when Kyoko turns up. Whether she's dead or alive."

Repulsed, Hina felt her face twist up. "Why would you say that?" she groaned, "Like- no, actually, why the fuck would you say that?" Togami somehow looked genuinely confused, and that made her blood boil. The fact that he could talk like that about one of his _friends?_

"I'm not wrong," he said. Hina turned her nose up at him.

"You're fucking gross is what you are. No wonder Toko wants to fuck you so bad, you're both a couple of weirdos," for a split second after she spoke, Hina wondered if she was crossing a line. But Togami didn't even spare an embarrassed flush - _why would he? The dude has no shame_ \- as he scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Ugh, don't say her name, you might _summon_ her."

Maybe it was from the sheer surprise of hearing a joke come out of Togami's mouth, but Hina couldn't stop herself from laughing - _genuinely, really_ laughing for what felt like the first time in decades, tired mind forgetting about his prior offensive words for the moment.

"Sorry," Hina said from behind her hand, "That was funny."

For the briefest of seconds, a smile ghosted across Togami's face. But it darkened even faster, and he turned to lean against the counter. "Asahina," he started, voice all business, "I'm glad we ran into each other here. I've been meaning to talk to you, but there hasn't exactly been an... _opportune_ moment in the last two days." He cleared his throat. "I... have to confess. I'm worried about you."

An icy pit was carved into her stomach, and the piece of donut in her hand hovered just below her chin. Hina forced herself to smile at him. "About me? C'mon, you don't have to worry about me. Don't be silly."

" _Asahina_ ," he repeated. This time, she stopped, feeling frozen to the spot. "It doesn't take a detective to notice the way you've been moping around."

" _Moping around?_ " she tried to laugh, "I don't mope."

"You stand there acting like we didn't have to watch Kiyotaka mourn his... _best friend_ as well," Togami looked her up and down, and Hina felt like a bug under a glass, "Though admittedly, you're much better at hiding it. Still. You're not doing well."

A sense of dread settled over Hina's body, throat feeling tight. He didn't need to just _say it_ out in the open like that. Mouth agape, she struggled to find a response for a long moment. Her face was hot, and her shoulders were tense, and she wanted to leave. "I'm..."

The words wouldn't come out of her mouth. Her lungs were empty.

"I'm _okay_ ," she insisted, but with the crack in her voice and the tears dripping down her cheeks, she couldn't even believe herself.

"Asahina, it's..." Togami twitched from across the island, fingers drumming on the counter, "It's understandable." He paused, and Hina stared at him, vision rapidly blurring. "You miss her."

" _I miss her,_ " she agreed, voice nothing more than a pathetic whine.

For some reason, the understanding nod Togami gave her in response is what really broke the dam. She let out a choked sob and dropped the last bite of donut back onto the napkin, putting her face in her hands. "I miss her," she repeated again, "Fuck, I miss her so much."

As she fruitlessly wiped tears and snot off her face with the back of her sleeve, Hina looked back up at Togami; he hadn't moved from the other side of the island, staring somberly at the countertop. She hiccuped on another sob, sitting down with her back against the cabinets. She didn't even have it in her to continue crying, but the act of standing just felt like too much right now.

Several moments later, Togami knelt down next to her with a glass of water, and she half-heartedly smiled at him when she took it. "Thanks," her voice was crackly. He nodded and lowered himself into a sitting position next to her. Hina sipped the water slowly, the sadness coming in and out in waves.

"Hey," she regretted speaking up the moment the word left her lips, but Togami lifted his head and looked at her, so it was obvious he heard it. Awkward, Hina sniffled and dropped her eyes to the floor. "Do you... like- do you do hugs?"

"Do I ' _do hugs_ '?" Togami repeated back at her, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Hina nodded.

"Yeah. I just-" she bit the inside of her cheek to stop the tears that were welling back up in her eyes, "I really need a hug right now, I think."

Hesitantly, Togami nodded in agreement, shifting to face her. His embrace was stiff and cold, and their bodies didn't meld together like Hina was used to when being hugged, and he patted her back like a football coach before a game, and for some reason he kept his _elbows_ raised?-

Hina put her head in the crook of his neck and counted down the seconds until Togami told her not to get the collar of his undoubtedly expensive suit wet with her tears.

He never did.

They sat there until Hina pulled away, wiping at her eyes and smiling much more easily this time. A choked laugh came out of her throat. "Wow. That was... uh-" she shook her head, "Thank you." Togami just nodded stiffly, folding his hands in his lap. Hina nudged him by the shoulder, grinning as he looked up. "Like being embraced by the sweet arms of a stick bug."

"I didn't realize hugging was a judged competition," Togami shot back, and if Hina didn't know better, she might have thought there was a twinge of embarrassment in his voice. She laughed again, gentler this time.

"I'm just kidding," she paused, "Really. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," there was a small glint in his eyes, "I mean it. I have a reputation to uphold."

"Yeah, can't let anybody know you fished that stick out of your ass for a few hours, right?" she pushed him by the arm a second time, and he shooed her away with an absent smile. Hina let her head fall to his shoulder with a sigh, staring at the opposite counter without any focus in her eyes.

After a moment, she was surprised to feel Togami rest his head against hers. It made her heart sink, for some reason - maybe because two weeks ago he wouldn't have been caught... well... _dead_ doing that - but the comfort of someone else being there felt... _nice._

They sat there in silence for a while, listening to the steady tick of the wall clock and the grinding of the AC unit behind them. Slowly, Hina could feel Togami relaxing against her - his body was beginning to feel heavy, like he was struggling to stay awake now that he'd gotten into a comfortable position despite the early hour of the night. A glance at the clock confirmed it; nighttime still had another hour to go.

Hina wondered if that's what Togami had meant when he said he hadn't been feeling well after the trial - she knew that to say _she_ was having a rough time sleeping would be the understatement of the century. It wouldn't be that unrealistic to assume her classmates were suffering similar effects.

A shiver went up her spine. Even if they managed to get out of here, were they ever going to be okay? Things couldn't go back to normal, but would they even be able to get in normal's atmosphere? Right now, sitting on the floor of the kitchen, Hina couldn't _imagine_ going back to her family. She missed them fiercely, she was all but desperate for their comfort and hugs and love, but how would she _ever_ be able to face them after everything that's happened here?

She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Hey... Byakuya?"

He didn't move his head, but he made a tired sound of acknowledgement, "Hm?"

"I'm..." Hina squeezed her eyes shut, "I'm like- _really_ scared."

For a moment, there was no response, and the silence hung heavy in the air. Then she felt him nod. His voice was quiet, and carried all the vague lack of emotion of someone who didn't really know they were speaking out loud, "Me too."

What could she even do but blink tears out of her eyes?

The admission of fear from one of the most rock solid and intimidating people Hina knew was... _frightening._ She didn't want to think about her classmates being just as scared as she was, _because scared people do stupid things._

She felt Togami's weight go fully dead at nearly the same moment she heard his breathing change, and she had to stifle a laugh as she wiped away the fresh tears. Because _holy shit_ , he's a mouth breather - and an _obnoxious_ mouth breather at that. The repetitive, fissure-like noise was so... _unexpected_ from a person Hina typically knew as exceptionally put-together - it was almost _hilarious._

Despite the fact that her neck was getting sore from leaning at such an angle, Hina decided to let him sleep for a few minutes.

The steady - albeit noisy - sound of Togami breathing in and out lulled Hina into a strange sense of _security_ , and she closed her eyes for just a moment. (Though she kept her ears and body alert; there was no way she was going to set them _both_ up as easy targets).

She found herself wildly entertained at the thought of Toko walking in right now and seeing them together like this. It almost brought a laugh out of her - maybe that sort of shock to her system would be good for her. Hagakure was _insistent_ that Toko was going to 'fall in love with Naegi' at some point in the future. _'80% on that one, baby, that's 50 whole percents higher than my usual predictions'._

If it did happen, Hina wouldn't exactly call it a psychic vision come true; it would be hard to _not_ fall in love with Makoto. While some people might overlook him due to his relatively small stature, he was _cute._ And he was, at his core, a genuinely good person.

Hina's chest felt empty as she remembered Sakura telling her about the day Makoto agreed to give an hour or two of training a shot. She said she was so _stunned_ that the little noodle of a kid wanted to try out an intense workout like that, and even more stunned when he _apologized_ for not being able to keep up with her (all while leaned up against the wall gasping and wheezing, red in the face and hair plastered to his forehead with sweat).

Sakura had smiled as she recounted his explanation - he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against her exercise routine, he just wanted to spend time with her while doing something she enjoyed.

That's just who Makoto _is._

It's the same as the times Hina has seen him in the gift shop spending all his spare coins in the mystery prize machine to get little trinkets for the others. The same as the moments she saw him trying to coax a conversation out of Taka after Mondo's execution. The same as the fact that he's the only one who willingly approaches Genocide Jack, even going so far as to try and spend actual time with her. _The same reason he was such an easy target for Sayaka to frame._

That's why Hina didn't want to believe he could've done something to Kyoko.

Because that would mean one of two things; either something made him snap, or he never liked any of them to begin with. Neither option was particularly favorable.

She hoped with everything in her that he really was coming down with something - though that still wasn't great. It made him a perfect candidate for murder.

But if someone among us is gonna be a killer, who would it even _be?_ She didn't want to think about that right now. Not until she _needed_ to - which, given the way the last few weeks have gone, might be pretty soon.

Hina sighed and rubbed the free side of her neck, trying to dispel the cramp. Somehow, the movement didn't bother Togami; he stayed slumped against her, effectively trapping her in the awkward position. She pursed her lips, knowing she would have to wake him up one way or another. Deciding now - before Monokuma shut the lights in the kitchen off - was the best time of any, Hina brought her hand up under her cheek to gently shake his shoulder.

When that didn't stir him, she shook a little harder, whispering, "Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey," and "Up and at 'em, champ, we gotta start the day," until she earned a startled, garbled snorting sound and the weight against her pulled back.

Finally lifting her head and cracking her neck, Hina couldn't stop herself from laughing at the way Togami smoothed out the front of his suit and fixed his glasses as if it would somehow undo the fact that he'd just fallen dead asleep on one of his classmates.

"Hey big guy," she teased, stretching out her arms to bring the feeling back, "You sleepy or something?"

"That was... inappropriate of me," he muttered, voice heavy despite having only napped for ten minutes _tops_ , "I'm very sorry, Asahina. I promise there won't be a repeat of this in the future."

Again, she laughed, but this time it was much softer. "C'mon, dude, don't worry. If you gotta sleep, you gotta sleep. I just figured you might be more comfy in your bed. And safer, probably," Hina leaned forward and put her hand on his elbow, prompting him to look up and meet her eyes, "I can walk you back to your dorm if you want. You look a little out of it, so I dunno if I want you walking back alone."

"How long was I asleep?" he asked. Hina shrugged.

"Five, maybe ten minutes? I was keeping a lookout, though, so don't worry," she said. Togami rubbed his eyes, slouching back against the cabinet. Hina gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Here, c'mon. Let's just get you to bed. I probably need to get to sleep soon, too. Hey- I was meaning to ask. When's the last time you slept? You were out pretty fast just now, so I was just wondering... you know."

"I did sleep last night," Togami insisted, abruptly standing and dusting off his lap, "For a little while. What about you? I'm hardly the one you should be concerned about."

Hina stood as well, finishing off the last bite of donut that she hadn't eaten earlier. "I'm not sleeping _well_ , but I'm sleeping. I think..." she paused, that familiar hollow feeling starting to carve into her gut again, "I think it might help. Sleeping in Sakura's room. I don't know. I just keep... _thinking_ about her, all the time, you know?" A noise of acknowledgement. When she peeled her eyes away from where they were drifting across the counter, she noticed that Togami had started to make a pot of coffee. "Hey, hey, hey, what is this?" she demanded; he actually looked back at her this time.

"What?"

"Uh- it's a no from me on the coffee at nine thirty PM!" she laughed, but it was more in awe at his audacity than anything else, "You were about to fall asleep! No, you _did_ fall asleep. Don't start with the coffee now, just go to _bed._ "

Togami paused with his hand inside the tub of grounds, studying her face intently. Then he proceeded to ignore her and continue preparing the coffee pot. Hina's face screwed up in frustration. " _Dude!_ Come _on._ "

"I want to speak with Monokuma before nighttime. And I'd prefer to be alert for it," Togami told her over his shoulder, pouring the water from the pot into the back of the machine. Hina huffed out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. As the coffee started to brew, Togami leaned back against the counter; Hina noticed that he'd pulled down _two_ cups instead of just one. _Does he think I'm gonna have a cup too? Stupid. It's way too late for-_

With a start, she realized that behind the mugs was the tin of protein powder Sakura used to use for her coffee when she'd make breakfast in the kitchen. Hina couldn't stop herself, her mouth fell slightly open. "H- hey, that's-" she gestured toward the counter next to him, "That's Sakura's."

Togami looked back at the tin, and his posture stiffened slightly. "Oh- yes," he crossed his arms as he turned back toward Hina, "She put me onto her protein coffee just before Fujisaki's death. I hate to admit I'm quite fond of it, now."

For some embarrassing reason, Hina felt tears pricking her eyes. "Right. Cool," she wiped her nose on her sleeve, "I- I didn't know you two talked."

"We didn't. Not more than once or twice," Togami said shortly, looking down his nose at her, "Pull yourself together, Asahina, it's just coffee." She quickly tried to sober up, swallowing a newly formed lump in her throat. "Yes, she approached me with the idea the morning after you forced me to eat breakfast with you in the library. She said it could act as a 'next-best' if I 'couldn't stomach anything solid.' I assume you explained our little midnight chat and told her to do something of that sort. Am I wrong?"

Hina paused, then shook her head. "W- wait, hold on. No way," in spite of her earlier objections, she still crossed around the island to take the freshly poured mug of coffee from him, "No, I never told anybody about that." At his skeptical look, she scoffed. "Seriously! That's totally your business, man! And- trust me, if Sakura knew what we talked about she would've been following you around like a freakin' _hawk_ during mealtime."

Togami looked a bit shell shocked, holding his coffee between both of his hands like it would be able to warm him up. "So... she was just..." he stopped, staring into the darkness of the mug, "Well, I suppose she..." again, he didn't finish what he was saying, but his face went blank, like he'd decided he had enough of trying to figure out whatever was going through his head.

"She probably just noticed you weren't eating breakfast," Hina suggested, "She had a good eye for that kinda thing. And like I said, she was a little bit of a health nut, so... yeah." When she didn't get a response, Hina awkwardly swirled her coffee. "I mean- she's really good at nutrition and stuff, so she was probably just worried about you."

"Worried about me," Togami repeated back to her.

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"Just... out of the kindness of her heart," he didn't sound pleased to have come to that revelation. Hina nodded, a sad smile making its way onto her face.

"Yeah. Just out of the kindness of her heart," she agreed. There was a warm feeling in her chest that had nothing to do with the coffee running down her throat. "I... I guess... you know, that's just who she was. She was a really, _really_ kind person. Don't get me wrong, she was super awkward, but... _yeah._ Yeah."

Like before, Togami didn't respond, just absently gazing into his coffee. Hina sipped at her own, knowing she was going to regret making it even more difficult to get to sleep when she finally decided to lay down. It was a space filler, though, and her conversation partner seemed to be lost in thought at the moment. And she'd had just about enough of getting lost in her own thoughts for the evening.

After a few minutes, Hina heard Togami release a shocked breath; he was back to looking confused, this time bringing his coffee up to sip at. Hina's brow furrowed. It might've been the kitchen lights, but it seemed like his face had taken on a clammy pallor, shadows accentuated by the way he was clenching his jaw. She squinted. _Are his hands shaking?_

"Hey..." she started, leaning toward him, "Don't bite my head off for for asking this, but like... you okay, man?"

Togami hummed under his breath, shaking his head in something that resembled _fascination._ One of the hands on his mug slowly traveled to his chest, pressing it flat against his sternum. He took a deep breath and released it as a sigh. "That's a stupid question. You know perfectly well that I'm just tired. That's why I'm drinking _this_ ," he told her, and Hina fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Sheesh, okay. Whatever you say, captain," as she spoke, she turned to look at the clock. "Hey, if you still wanted to talk to Monokuma, you should probably go now. Little fucker could be anywhere once he calls nighttime."

"Yes, it would be nice if he could be _consistent_ about answering our calls for him," Togami agreed, sighing as he finished the last of that cup of coffee. He set the mug down next to the machine - a silent promise that he would be back for more later - and straightened the little ribbon he wears around his collar. "Alright. I'll be back soon. If I'm not, well... check the gym first, I suppose."

As he went to leave, Hina snapped back to her senses and grabbed his arm. "Hey, whoa! Don't you want me to come with you? Safety in numbers, yeah?"

Togami shook her off and fixed his posture, tugging on the lapels of his jacket. "I'd prefer to speak with him alone. Trust me. I won't be long. I don't want to be in that insufferable bear's presence any longer than I need to be," he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and Hina wondered if he'd ever considered just getting them fitted to his face better.

She hesitated as she stood back. "A- alright. I mean- if you're sure. I just-"

"Don't insinuate that I'm not capable of defending myself, Asahina," Togami snapped, and Hina bit back her next retort by filling her mouth with coffee. She wasn't emotionally able to deal with starting a fight right now. _Why did every conversation with Togami have to be this way?_

As he started toward the door to the dining hall again, Hina set down her half-empty coffee mug on the counter and followed after him. "We can still hang out after, but do you care if I run back to my room while you talk to Monokuma? I wanna grab a quick shower before he shuts the water off."

"Someone could poison the coffee while we're gone," Togami retorted, leaving Hina to huff out a sigh. She didn't even realize that the two of them had silently agreed they were meeting back up in the kitchen, "Just take the pot back to your room and leave it on your desk or something. Come on. We've only got twenty minutes."

Grabbing the pot as instructed, Hina rolled her eyes. "Thirty minutes. Easy. It doesn't take ten minutes to leave the dining hall."

"I'm accounting for walking as well," Togami insisted, weaving around the metal chairs at the lunch tables. Hina snorted.

"Again. Doesn't take ten minutes," she pushed open the door with her free hand, "And look at that! We're in the lobby. With thirty minutes to spare."

"Shut up with that," he snapped without any venom, " _Go._ You're wasting your own showering time now."

Hina laughed and waved him off, turning to head back to her dorm. It quickly struck her, as she fished around in her pocket for the key that actually belonged to her, that she hadn't gone back into her own dorm since... well, since the night before the trial.

A flash of movement caught her eye, and Hina looked up just in time to see someone enter one of the dorms and shut the door quietly behind them. As she approached, she realized it was Makoto's dorm; she wasn't sure why she had a bad feeling in her gut. He was probably just headed to bed to get some shut-eye. Not everybody is an insomniac like her and Togami, and he'd been looking a little worse for wear all day.

She tried desperately to push the thoughts of him murdering Kyoko out of her mind as she fumbled with the lock on her door and entered her dorm.

It was just the way she'd left it - clothes heaped on the floor, bedspread askew, all her swimming trophies her family insists she use for decoration littered with jewelry hanging from the sides. Sakura despised coming into her dorm, because every time she set foot inside, she'd start picking up all of Hina's things, trying to organize.

Sliding a couple of empty mugs and a notebook out of the way, she set the coffee pot down and headed for the bathroom. The pang in her chest at the memory of Sayaka's body in the shower was pushed aside in favor of more pleasant thoughts - how warm and clean she would be in ten minutes. How, for a murderous death trap, this school had _really_ nice showers. How dope that coffee is going to be when she's cuddled up in a blanket.

Before the water had even begun to heat up, there was a knock at her door.

She would almost say it was _frantic_ how the person was knocking, only breaking for a moment or two before resuming the action at the same quick pace as before. Hina jogged for the door, shouting, "I'm coming!" despite knowing the room was sound-proofed.

When she pulled open the door, Togami's fist almost came in contact with her face. He quickly pulled it back and tugged at the bottom of his jacket to straighten it. "Asahina," he said evenly, but the calm in his voice was very clearly fake, "You need to help me get the others and head to the gym. _Now._ "

Stunned, Hina blinked. "Wh- what?" she glanced into the hall, "A- a body!?"

"No, not-" Togami gritted his teeth and shook his head, "It's not a body, just _help me_ get the others!" this time he snapped at her, grabbing her by the wrist, "Toko and Hagakure were in the library last I saw them, I believe Makoto is in his room." When she didn't move right away, he made a frustrated sound. "Don't stand there looking flabbergasted, you're wasting time. _Go!_ "

And he took off around the corner toward the stairs, power walking in a way that almost made him look _panicked_.

Hina collected herself as quickly as she could and ran back into her room, shutting off the shower and grabbing her keys. She didn't mean to slam the door as hard as she did on her way out, but the rush she was in negated the desire for secrecy. _Besides_ , she figured, running several doors down with her fist already raised, _the only person asleep right now is about to wake up._

She knocked rapidly on Makoto's door, bouncing on her feet as she waited for him to answer. It only occurred to her then that she... didn't really _know_ what Togami was gathering them for in the first place. An optimistic, hilarious part of her wanted to believe he'd just discovered it was Monokuma's birthday, and that the bear wanted to throw a party. More realistically...

With how anxious he'd seemed, she was afraid to assume the worst.

Makoto still hadn't answered the door.

Hina knocked again, this time pounding with the side of her fist. "Makoto!?" she called, face close to the door for maximum volume, "Makoto, you in there!?"

She could hear voices in the stairwell, and Makoto still wasn't answering the door. Hina tried again, knocking louder and harder, more obnoxiously. She leaned against his tiny pixelated sprite, practically speaking against the door. "Makoto, dude, you gotta get up! Togami wants us in the gym!" she wondered if 'sound proofed' meant the person inside couldn't hear anything either. _That wouldn't make sense. People have knocked on my door before._

Footsteps in the foyer.

"Anybody in there!?" she pounded on the door again, "Makoto!?"

A horrible, horrible thought occurred to her. _Togami might not have found a body in the gym, but..._ She knocked a bit more frantically, feeling her stomach starting to twist. "Makoto, hey, open up!"

"Is he not in there?" Togami approached her from down the hall, followed closely behind by Hagakure and Toko, both of whom seemed just about as confused as Hina was at the moment.

She huffed out a sigh, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "He's not answering. It's too weird, though, I like- _just_ saw him go in his room. Like- less than ten minutes ago," she turned back to the door and knocked again, "Makoto!? You're making us worry, dude, come on!"

"Hey, Hina, wait-" Hagakure put his arm between Hina and the door, waving it to make her stop, "Maybe the little guy's just tryin' to sleep. He totally looked like he was gonna hurl earlier. I'm gonna feel like- _so_ bad if we wake him up and he's like- super sick or whatever."

"Whether he's ill or not, this is more important than his physical wellbeing," Togami snapped, stepping in front of both Hagakure and Hina. He knocked harshly, knuckles making a sharp noise against the wood. "Makoto, if you're in there, I expect you to come out promptly."

"Yeah- hey, you still haven't told us what you were freaking out about," Hagakure interjected, catching Togami's wrist before he could knock again. Togami glared at him and snatched his hand back, knocking especially aggressively this time. Hagakure rolled his eyes and shared an exasperated look with Toko. That one caught Hina a little off guard - when had _those two_ started talking!?

"I wasn't _'freaking out'_ ," Togami said with an angry note in his voice, "But this is _urgent._ "

Toko wrung her braids between her hands as Togami pounded on the door again. "I- I mean... no _offense_ , Master Togami, b-but the hippie's right. Y- you haven't really told us anything," she said, her voice a confused and slightly nervous whine. Hagakure gasped at her.

"Wh- ' _the hippie_ '!?"

"I'm shocked that you would have anything other than blind faith in me, Fukawa," Togami snapped, glancing over his shoulder at her, "How refreshing."

Hina groaned as Toko seemed to light up, pulling at her braids excitedly. "Wow, a compliment!" she cooed, and then bounced up and down twice, clapping her hands, "What did I do to deserve such wonderful treatment from someone as great as you!?"

"Makoto!" Togami ignored her, rapping on the door with growing impatience, "You're beginning to get on all of our nerves. Open the door!"

"Has anybody considered that he might just... not be in his room?" Hagakure suggested as he scratched the back of his neck. Hina firmly shook her head.

"No, I mean- I definitely saw him go in his room a few minutes ago, so unless he left really quick..." she shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe he's ignoring us."

" _Maybe_ the kid isn't feelin' good," exasperated, Hagakure let out a heavy sigh and tucked a loc behind his ear.

"W- what if he got _killed!?_ " Toko finally said what they'd all been thinking, jumping back with her hands raised defensively when Togami turned to look at her. " _AH-H! AH!_ I'm sorry! P- please forgive me for talking out of turn, M- Master Togami!"

For his part, Togami just pinched the bridge of his nose, looking tired. "No, Toko, you're right," he glanced back at the door, then back toward Hina and the others, "We'll come back later to knock again. For now, I need you all to come with me. I found something... _unexpected_ in the gym."

Hagakure let out a noise half way between a whine and a groan, pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead. " _Aw_ , man, but- wait, come _on,_ Byakuya! Now you've got me worried about him! What if the killer's in there with him right now!?" He turned to Toko, seizing the author's sweater sleeve. "Fukawa, c'mon- Genocide Jack knows how to pick locks, right? Couldn't we just sneak into his room and check on him?"

" _Euagh,_ get off!" Toko shoved Hagakure away from her, face flushing red and body hunching over, "She's not a p- party trick, I c- can't just turn her on and off like that!"

"We'll check on him _later_. Now all of you, come with me. I hope my discovery hasn't disappeared in the time you all wasted blathering on like children," Togami pushed past Hagakure and headed off for the hallway that led to the gym. Again, Toko and Hagakure shared a certain look that Hina didn't quite understand, before the three of them all silently followed after Togami.

Hina fell behind with Toko as the two tall men strode ahead without any consideration to those not as advanced in height. She kept up a slight jog so she wouldn't lose them around any corners. Toko was winded already. "Really hoping this is gonna be something worth it," Hina huffed, shooting an amused smile in Toko's direction. The author gave her a sneer, though it wasn't quite as malicious as usual. Maybe she was getting tired of keeping up that hateful act.

"If Togami found it, I- I'm sure it's as serious as he says it is," she shot back, rolling her eyes and catching the closing gate that Hagakure failed to hold open for them. She let Hina go first. "Yeah. Togami's smart. You gotta just... t- trust him? I guess."

Hina couldn't stop herself from smirking a little. "Finally decided to drop the 'master' thing? Thank God, that shit was weird as hell," she elbowed Toko in the shoulder, earning a frightened yelp.

"W- what!? I- I didn't drop anything! I _said_ Master!" she exclaimed, but before either could say anything else, both girls paused, momentarily distracted as their eyes travelled to the glaring red elevator doors at the end of the first hallway. Their feet stopped moving without either of them realizing it. Hina heard the dry sound of Toko swallowing nervously.

In the opposite direction, Hagakure turned to walk backwards, both himself and Togami already yards ahead of the two girls.

"Ladies, c'mon, book it!" he called through cupped hands before turning around and jogging forward to match pace with Togami.

She wasn't sure why she did it, but Hina slipped her hand into Toko's and squeezed it. Both of them let go almost immediately - Toko seemed weirded out by the friendly gesture (though not entirely angry about it) - and Hina didn't really want to hold the author's hand for any longer than she already did. Toko's hands are cold and spindly and always a little clammy.

"Let's go," Hina nodded down the hall and took off in a jog, assuming Toko would follow behind her. The clunky sound of her heavy shoes on the tile below them confirmed it.

When they rounded the next few corners toward the gym, they saw Togami and Hagakure had waited for them at the doors to the foyer. The latter pulled open the door with a smile at the others, and they all headed inside. Togami beelined for the gym doors before anyone else could go in, turning with his hands laced together and an authoritative look on his face. (Hina suppressed a snort at the fact that the first thing that came to mind was a laser tag assistant about to give the briefing before a game).

"Now- no one... _freak out_ , or anything, when you see what's inside the gym. Before you ask, I promise it isn't a body, nor _should_ there be a body inside when we open this door," Togami began, voice sounding a bit lecture-y, "I made sure the thing I found was... _deactivated_ before I left it alone, so we should - _emphasis_ on should - be fine."

Hagakure scratched the back of his neck. "Uh... dude, I hate to be _'that guy'_ , but like... literally _what_ are you talking about?" he turned to look at Toko and Hina. "Like am I the only one that's _super_ lost right now."

"I mean..." Hina shrugged, giving an apologetic look to Togami, "Come on, Byakuya, the suspense is killing me! Can we just go in?"

With a glare in all of their general directions, Togami turned and pushed into the gym. Hagakure entered first, and shouted in surprise. "Wh- what the hell!?"

Immediately, Hina saw why he'd been giving them the lecture on not freaking out.

It was just... _sitting there._

The usual glowing red of his left eye was a dull reflective plastic, stuffed body slumped over like an average teddy bear. There was no movement. No mechanical whir that usually came with his presence. His animated sharp teeth sat dormant in the left side of his mouth, nothing more than painted plastic and screws. He was almost kind of... _cool_ like this. Something Hina might pick up as a gag gift for a party.

But it was unmistakably him, and unmistakably real.

Monokuma.

**Author's Note:**

> i thought it was interesting that everybody kind of ganged up on makoto during the trial, and i kind of love the concept of characters having relationships outside of what's immediately obvious in the plot :) anyway yeah togami and hina as friends have a special place in my heart
> 
> as always further headcanons:  
> \- yes junko restocks on donuts weekly. she's a woman of taste and convenience for the tenderness of this plot.  
> \- hagakure used the last of his weed to hotbox the bathroom with toko the night after sakura's trial and they've been on weird-but-okay terms ever since (kjfklj im actually writing a fic about this rn that is. less canon compliant than this one.)  
> \- finding out sakura killed herself REALLY fucked with togami's head. like that narcissism convinced him he was personally and singlehandedly responsible for her death (he said just found out abt suicide :/ damn that shit sucks)  
> \- but yeah LMFAO he just straight up starts having anxiety attacks and every time he's like "hm that was weird and unpleasent." " :/" ":/" "ok anyway-"


End file.
